Study Supports Use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Teens & Adolescents

By Hugh C. McBride
Researchers who analyzed dozens of studies on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have concluded that the technique is an effective means of reducing symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder in teenagers and adolescents who have experienced some type of trauma. These findings are consistent with previous research into the use of CBT with depressed teens.
Do Girls Benefit from Attending an All-Girls’ School?

By Mary Willis
This is a question that has been asked for many, many years. Comprehensive research conducted over the past two decades has provided us with an answer, at last. Yes, academic performance of girls (ages 12-20) ranks much higher for those attending an all-girls’ school versus those in a co-educational environment.
When Kids Bully Other Kids At School

By Lisa Dunning, MFT
For many kids, school is a great place to learn, socialize and build self-esteem. But for a child who is the victim of a bully, school can be a place of terror. It's important for a parent to know the warning signs of bullying. If ignored, a child's school experience, self-esteem and even their life can be in jeopardy.
Troubled Teens in the Wilderness Learn to Love Learning

By: Hugh C. McBride
There aren’t a lot of textbooks in the Idaho desert, but Sean Tomkinson, a therapist with SUWS Adolescent and Youth Programs, believes that the students who spend weeks in that wilderness environment emerge more motivated and better prepared to pursue academic success when they return to the classroom.
Changing the Lives of Teens Through the Power of Choice: A Strength-Based Model in Wilderness Therapy

By Meghan Vivo
Outback is a progressive wilderness therapy program for adolescents ages 13 to 17 struggling with problems such as oppositional defiance, academic underachievement, low self-esteem, depression, substance abuse, and other behavioral and emotional issues that operates under the philosophy that we all have a choice as to what we’ll make of our lives.
Modern Rites of Passage in the Wilderness: Guiding Young People to a Sober Adulthood

By Meghan Vivo
Much of what you read about wilderness therapy speaks of the life skills young people learn in the wilderness, such as communication, teamwork, and understanding natural consequences, which teach them to build positive relationships and pull themselves out of the pitfalls of adolescence. And all of that is certainly true. But equally, if not more important, is the broader opportunity in wilderness therapy for young people to mark their transition into adulthood.
Screening For Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol-Related Problems in College Populations

New-found independence can sometimes be dangerous: Alcohol use and abuse among college students is a serious cause for concern. Many students are under the legal drinking age and many engage in heavy episodic, or binge, drinking. There are a variety of simple screening methods that can help identify those students at greatest risk for alcohol problems so that preventative steps can be taken before it's too late.
Depression in the Teen Years

Before adolescence, there is little difference in the rate of depression in boys and girls. But between the ages of 11 and 13 there is a precipitous rise in depression rates for girls. By the age of 15, females are twice as likely to have experienced a major depressive episode as males.
Parenting Teenagers Doesn’t Have To Be Tough

By Kirsten Beutuhin, LMFT
No matter how good your relationship is with your child, it is going to change when your child hits adolescence. A parent can experience a great deal of stress as their teenager begins to face the many challenges and changes that adolescence entails. Teenagers can be moody, critical, argumentative, and absent-minded, but they are also creative, energetic, and passionate about the world and their place in it.
The Last Straw: How to Reach Your Teen When You Feel You've Tried Everything

By Darin Geiger, M.A.
The key to helping struggling teens is early intervention. Early intervention requires taking action and getting to the root of your teen's problem. If you feel like the situation is at an impasse, help from an outside source, such as a therapist, may be necessary.
A Kink In The Hose

By Judy Martin, MFT
Throughout the years of parenting my difficult oldest daughter, overdoing and sacrifice have been a means of convincing myself that I’m a good mother and a good person...But I've come to realize that my deeply ingrained beliefs about the inappropriateness of selfishness have too often caused me to trade my own happiness for my daughter’s.
Size Zero

By Emily Battaglia
Despite much research and discussion, the root causes of eating disorders are still not fully understood. Several risk factors have been cited, including genetics, personality, and external stressors. One of the most significant influences, however, is the American society’s evolving ideal for the feminine form.
Equine Therapy: How Horses Help Troubled Teens Build Better Lives

By Hugh C. McBride
For decades, horses have been employed in therapeutic programs throughout the United States, where they have helped thousands of people overcome serious physical and emotional challenges. For adolescents who suffer from social or developmental disorders, equine therapy can offer life-changing opportunities to work through internal struggles and rebuild positive interpersonal relationships.
Staying Fit for Life: Behavioral Change for Lasting Weight Loss

An Interview with Samanthia Gaspar, PsyD.--By Meghan Vivo
In the past, many families turned to “fat camps” to help their teens lose weight. Although some campers experienced significant weight loss, most gained the weight back when they returned home. Research now supports a new generation of “fit camps” or weight loss camps, which have achieved remarkable long-term results.
Helping Your Kids Say "No" to Marijuana—Even If You Didn’t

If your child asks whether you ever used marijuana and your honest answer is "yes," you don’t have to provide a graphically detailed account. Instead, use your child’s curiosity about your personal history as an opportunity to talk about questions and concerns they may be having about marijuana, as well as the use and abuse of other drugs and substances.
The Compelling Power of Cliques

Ideally, belonging to a set group of friends or "clique" can help a teen feel capable, cool and in control. Sometimes, however, the power of social cliques casts a dark shadow.
Teen Dreams

By, Donna C. Moss, MA, LCSW-R
Pretend you are 16 again. What did you do every day? Every summer? Did you have a carefree beach roaming adventure or did you go to a programmed summer camp of competitive sports? It doesn’t matter. You see, you had something to do. Why is this most basic of human needs so elusive that it causes paralyzing depression in young people? I’ll tell you why.
An Easy Way to Keep Your Teen from Using Drugs or Alcohol

Parenting teens is rarely easy, so take advantage of a simple technique to greatly increase the odds that your teen will not experiment with drugs and alcohol: Eat dinner together, five or more times each week, as a family. Turn off the cell phones and the Blackberries, and talk to one another.
Treating “Peter Pan Syndrome” with Wilderness Therapy

By Meghan Vivo
The “Peter Pan Syndrome” is a common phenomenon witnessed by parents: young people in their late teens and twenties who look like adults on the outside, but are still teenagers on the inside. Often, these young adults get caught up with “partying” and staying out all hours of the night, resisting the responsibilities of adulthood and glorifying the “freedom” of adolescence.
How to Prepare Teens with Asperger’s Syndrome for Life’s Challenges

An Interview with Sue Coble, Ph.D.--By Catherine H. Knott, Ph.D.
Should young people with Asperger’s be advised to avoid certain pursuits that depend heavily on social interaction? Or should they be coached to try, even if jobs in those fields may be more difficult for them? Sue Coble, professor of psychology at the University of Alaska and Kenai Peninsula College, answers these questions and others, based on many years of Asperger’s and autism research.
Which Came First: Marijuana Use or Depression?

By Meghan Vivo
Marijuana has adverse effects on the brain, heart, and lungs--and mounting evidence also suggests a correlation between marijuana use and depression. The question experts on all sides want answered is, which came first? Marijuana use or depression? Do depressed teens smoke pot to relieve their symptoms, or does smoking pot actually cause depression?
Why Women Have Trouble With Self-Confidence...

By Colette Dowling, LMSW
Women actually learn low self-confidence; they're trained for it. Studies show that girls--especially smarter ones--have severe problems with self-confidence. They consistently underestimate their own ability.
Understanding the Need to Say "NO" to Your Children

By Jill MacDonald, MA, LPC
I don’t know anyone who would say they enjoy hearing the word “NO.” And children especially dislike it. However, as a therapist and parent I know that saying (and hearing) “no” is a vital and positive part of our lives.
Getting Kids to Listen

by Dr. Marge Blaine
Problems with kids fall into a number of categories. These include difficulties with homework, siblings, and household chores. Homework often presents the greatest source of conflict, but is often easiest to solve.
10 Things Every Parent Should Know to Help Keep Their Teens Safe

By Linda Laffey, MFT
The adolescent brain is changing, beginning to think abstractly for the first time. Abstract thinking is a requirement for problem solving, and teens need to master this skill to make it in the adult world. This evolution to abstract thinking helps explain why teens now challenge their parents’ opinions, limits and rules, why they turn more to their peers for advice, and why they separate physically and emotionally from their parents.
Don’t Let the Fear of Screwing Up Your Kids Screw You Up As A Parent

By Mitchell Milch, MSW
Let’s face it, we all want to avoid making the same mistakes raising our kids we believe our parents or surrogate parents made raising us. This is especially the case when we still hold grudges toward parents for what has or has not become of us.
As Community Members, What Can We Do To Help Prevent School Violence?

As a result of recent school violence tragedies, fear of youth crime has skyrocketed and wondering just what can be done to help has left many of us in a quandary...The best thing each and every one of us can do to strengthen the lives of our community's children--even those of us who don't have kids of our own or whose kids are no longer of school age--is to make sure we find ways to offer real and tangible evidence that we care.
Marijuana Facts For Teens

Get answers to some of the questions about marijuana most commonly asked by teens, including what are the short- and long-term effects of using marijuana; what effect does it have on regular activities, such as driving, studying, and sports; what does using marijuana do to the brain and to the body; how addictive is it; and what can you do to get help if you want to stop using.
Link Between Teen Smoking and Anxiety Disorders

Can smoking directly affect emotional health? A recent study offers evidence of an association between cigarette smoking during the teen years and developing anxiety disorders during adolescence and early adulthood.
Helping Kids Navigate Their Teenage Years: When Parents Need Help First

Parents can do much to help their teenage sons or daughters through a variety of difficult situations. Depression, violence, substance abuse, and bullying are all serious issues that parents and teens can work together to help resolve. Sometimes, however, parents need to confront their own problems before they can help their teenager.
|